From the Archives

Manchester Branch abroad

A public spirited gentleman contacted Coates Crescent recently to ask if he could donate to the Society an album of photographs relating to Scottish country dancing in 1951. He was not a dancer but he had bought the album from a charity shop in Cheshire, England because he feared it would be destroyed if no one wanted it and that, he thought, would be regrettable. Through the wonders of Google he found the RSCDS. The album had been compiled by Ralph Byrom Osbaldeston and illustrated a trip to Palma de Mallorca in 1951 by members of the Scottish Country Dance Society, almost certainly Manchester Branch. The trip took place from post-war Britain, where strict rationing of basic food items was still in place and overseas travel restricted to the wealthy. It must have been very exciting. The album is a souvenir of the tour and one of the names mentioned is Alex Queen, so I contacted David Queen to ask whether it was likely that his father was on the trip. David believes there were several trips to Spain run by Bill and Queenie Gibb of Manchester Branch. Alex was a piper, and David identified him in the album not least because “he had a unique hair cut in those days!” The album has found a home in our archive, and we would like all our members to keep your eyes open, whether at auction sales, in second-hand book shops or charity shops, at jumble sales or car boot sales, for items such as old dance books, memorabilia, e.g. old (pre 1920) dance programmes or anything about the Society or SCD in general that may be of interest not only now but in the future. The strangest things can be a welcome addition to our archive and if you send in anything that isn’t wanted – we do have a bin! Our Archivist, Marilyn Healy, receives a steady stream of enquiries about dances, dancing and the history of the Society. Here she describes two that recall dancing in the 1950s.

The International Team visit to Biarritz 1953

(left to right): Duncan MacLeod, Bill Clement, Sheena MacLeod, Elsie Goodall, Archie Paterson, Doris Robertson, Bill Murray, Lesley Martin, Hamish Glen, Margaret Moir and Innes Russell.

Innes Russell of Perth

Another query related to the Strathspey, Innes Russell of Perth,written by L R Leavett

Brown and published as a leaflet by James S Kerr in 1953. Music for the dance was by Adam Rennie. Innes Russell came from Perth. He, together with Johnny Williamson another NCO (non-commissioned officer) from Perth, was in a prisoner of war camp at Hohenfels, Germany in 1944 where they devised the dance The St Johnstoun Reel, published in

Perth in 1950 and recently republished in The Book of Perth Dances.

After the war and with Helen Farquhar, an RSCDS member and local professional dance teacher, he ran a club, the St Johnstoun dancers (St Johnstoun is the historic name of Perth). He was a member of the Society’s International Team which visited Biarritz and Pamplona in 1953. He left Perth in 1954 and moved to London, where he was a teacher for London Branch. The query came from Victoria Russell, one of Innes' grand-daughters, who was looking for help to organise a surprise birthday present for her father, Gordon. He had often spoken of Innes's love of Scottish country dance music, and was very proud that a dance and music had been named after him. Victoria asked if she could learn the dance so that the family could share it with Gordon. The RSCDS was, of course, able to help and, with Luke Brady providing the music, a set of Russells danced Innes Russell of Perthon Gordon’s birthday.